Tom Scheerer

Provenance: Inlay

prov-e-nance ˈpräv-nən(t)s, ˈprä-və-ˌnän(t)s
noun. the place of origin or earliest known history of something.

In my first Provenance column since my move, I am turning my attention to the art of inlay, which seems extremely apropos as it is one of the high arts of the Islamic world. I was also lucky enough to spend some serious time this past summer with the extraordinary collection of inlaid furniture and objects found at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Even the best photos can only do this kind of detail so much justice and I will confirm for you that the 16th century Italian trestle table made of walnut with boxwood, rosewood and bone inlay shown above in the banner, was even more spectacular in person. That said, this is the kind of post in which all the photos are meant to be clicked on so that the detail can truly be appreciated.

The desire for ornamentation is universal and in the case of inlaid furniture, has transcended both time and geography. From the earliest known Mesopotamian example to those from ancient China, Egypt and the Roman Empire, artisans employed the technique of hollowing out cavities on the surface of an object and filling it with a different material – the inlay – to create contrast and pattern. Wood is most often the base material used for furniture, with other woods, ebony, ivory, bone, horn, tortoiseshell, mother-of-pearl and other shells being used for the inlay. Over the centuries the basic techniques have stayed the same, although the tools used have progressed hand in hand with technology, from early simple carving sticks to modern-day computerized cutting. More recently inlay materials have expanded to include the man-made, such as resin and other composites.

Inlaid furniture also tells the story of cross cultural influences and trade across borders. Inlay techniques were already perfected in North Africa before they were introduced by the Moors into Europe through southern Italy and Spain. Italian Renaissance artists carried the techniques further with their incredible detail and precision as the technique spread from northern Italy into Germany and then on to London via Flemish craftsmen in the later 16th century. It’s fascinating to compare the detail on this early 14th century Mamluk door from Cairo, inlaid with ivory, ebony and other woods, with this Venetian coffer made around 1520, also inlaid with the same materials. While the style of the inlay on the Italian piece is Islamic, the overall shape of the chest is most definitely Western European. This is not so surprising as strong trading links between Europe, the Ottoman Empire and the Middle East were already in place.

For the purposes of this post, I am going to neglect the development of similar indigenous European techniques such as marquetry and parquetry, in which pieces of wood veneer are applied to furniture (not inlaid) for decoration and pietre dure/pietra dura, in which semi precious and other colored stones are inlaid into marble. Equally compelling, they perhaps deserve a post of their very own.

As European exploration and colonization of India, the Middle East and Asia expanded, the Portuguese, Dutch and later English traders and then settlers arrived with a need for furniture and other objects such as sewing boxes and lap desks as there was little domestic furniture available. They had their European furniture and other imported pieces copied in native woods and then ornamented with traditional inlay techniques. Over time bustling export trade markets developed. Nowhere was the fusing of practical European pieces with local design more successful than in India and the Anglo-Indian furniture style – often referred to as British Colonial – was born. Bone inlay, as an alternative to the rarer and more valuable ivory and ebony, became the inlay material of choice because it was plentiful and readily available. Examples include this late nineteenth century colonial teak dresser inlaid with bone after it was made and what became an almost ubiquitous piece of colonial life, the planter’s chair. Both are highly collectible, extremely decorative and would look very at home in any global eclectic interior.

In North Africa and the Middle East local pieces such as dowry trunks and small tables were purchased and added to western style interiors, this being particularly popular in the latter half of the 19th century when exoticism became the rage during the Aesthetic movement.

They have cycled around to being incredibly popular again in today’s interiors and it is rare to find an interior photo spread these days that doesn’t include at least one octagonal Syrian or Egyptian table in this style. I could choose from hundreds of photos, but I love the unexpected combination and color play in this Tom Scheerer interior. The table is tucked in the corner and it demonstrates its versatility well in this unusual mix.

And let us be sure not to neglect Eastern Asia, where the art of inlay had been flourishing since before the 8th century. In Japan, mother-of-pearl was the most popular material, in addition to mixed metals and other techniques on lacquer pieces. While Japan’s production was domestically focused, the Portuguese began commissioning local workers to produce objects designed to appeal to the European market, like this tankard, in the latter half of the 16th century. Again we see a traditional western shape decorated in the local style. By 1635 the Portuguese were expelled and Japan remained closed to foreign influence for 250 years. Once reopened, design ideas from Europe were rapidly absorbed (as were design ideas from Japan in Europe). This elaborately inlaid curio cabinet or shodana, in the high Victorian/Aesthetic taste, was made for export in the late 1880s.

17th-century-mother-of-pearl-on-wood-lacquer-japan-tankard japanese-meji-period-shibiyama-shodona-cabinet

Elaborate inlaid cabinets were not limited to Japan and I cannot resist including these two absolute tour-de-force pieces that I was lucky enough to see at the V & A. The late 19th century Korean chest on chest used for storing clothes and bedding is decorated with phoenixes, cranes, peach trees and fish and utilizes stylized butterfly shaped metal fittings. The fully inlaid South American bureau is more of a mystery. It has been dated to around 1820, but little is known of it. It’s fascinating to see the European shape and techniques imported to the new world. More on each of these extraordinary pieces can be found here and here.

Inlay continued as a popular technique in the 20th century being perfectly suited to stylized designs appearing on Art Nouveau and Art Deco pieces. The modernist movement found a use for it as well, often simplifying from elaborate obvious pattern to accent and texture, best epitomized in these contemporary 1970s bone inlaid pieces by Karl Springer.

Interiors that feature inlaid pieces are irresistible – adding vibrancy with their mix of materials. Here are just a few examples from designers who are masters at using such pieces, including in clockwise order Anna Spiro, Katie Ridder, Amber Lewis, Schuyler Samperton and Ashley Whittaker.

Pieces from every era are pricy out in the marketplace. Well made new items are also expensive as even with advances in technology they continue to require a high level of craftsmanship. Bone and mother-of pearl are most commonly used on new inlaid furniture in the light of 20th century bans on the use or import of ivory and other precious commodities.

So where to find it? Antique pieces can be sourced from 1stdibs and auction houses, always a great place to look price wise if you know what you want. I’ve been quite lucky at flea markets and local shops, finding a small inlaid Indian table at a Japanese shrine sale, a colonial era set of tables at a run-down New Jersey antiques mall and most recently, an antique Syrian piece at a small shop here in Doha. Pretty global distribution if I do say so myself. Major online retailers like Wisteria, Serena & Lily and even Pottery Barn, as well as the drool-worthy UK-based Graham & Green carry the very figural mother-of-pearl and bone pieces we see a lot of these days, both in furniture and lovely accessories. Numerous online importers ship straight from India as well, although I don’t have any personal experience ordering from them.

The appeal of inlay is timeless as it adds a luminous and luxurious layer to any space and a whiff of exoticism and far off lands. On that note, the next few weeks will be devoted to the art of inlay here on Tokyo Jinja. From my own personal collection to contemporary interpretations of the craft, watch for numerous upcoming posts on the subject over the next few weeks.

In the meantime, if you would like to catch up on my previous Provenance posts you can find them over at Cloth & Kind as well as my related Provenance pieces here on Tokyo Jinja.

Victoria & Albert Museum, 2. My photo, Mamluk doors part of the The Museum of Islamic Arts collection, 3. Italian coffer from Victoria & Albert Museum, 4. Marquetry desk via 1stdibs, 5. Pietra dura via 1stdibs, 6. Chest photo via Wisteria, 7. Planters chairs via 1stdibs, 8.Table pair Christies, 9. Trunk Christies, 10. Syrian table close-up my own photo, 11. From Tom Scheerer Decorates by Mimi Reed, photographed by Francesco Lagnese, 12. Tankard Victoria & Albert Museum, 12. Shodana cabinet Bonhams, 13-14. Korean chest Victoria & Albert Museum, 15. Mother of Pearl chest Victoria & Albert, 16. Mother of Pearl detail close-up my photo, 17. Art deco desk 1stdib, 18. Karl Springer ottomans 1stdibs, 19. Anna Spiro in Absolutely Beautiful Things, 20. Katie Ridder in Elle Decor March 2008, photo credit: William Waldron, 21. Amber Interiors, 22. Schuyler Samperton, 23. Ashley Whittaker, 24-27. Tray and mirror via Wisteria, Commode and nightstand via Graham & Green, Bone inlay bathroom set via Pottery Barn,

Mar 24, 2014 By tokyojinja in Design Motif, Furniture, Interior Design, Provenance Columns 5 Comments Tags: Amber Lewis, Anglo Indian, Anglo Indian furniture, Anna Spiro, Ashley Whittaker, bone, British Colonial, ebony, Egyptian Antiques, inlaid, inlaid furniture, inlay, ivory, japanese antiques, Karl Springer, Katie Ridder, Korean Antiques, mother of pearl, Provenance, Schuyler Samperton, Syrian Antiques, Tom Scheerer

Goodbye Mr. Hitchcock…Hello Mr. Thonet?

I was young, newly married, and in need of a table and chairs to serve as both kitchen and dining room table. We had the typical NYC galley kitchen in our apartment in an old 19th century school building. The space had a loft-meets-country feel and I was still pretty firmly embedded in the 19th century Americana that was my original antiques specialty, although my tendency to pull from the Aesthetic Movement was already quite marked. Quite soon after moving in we were driving home from a friend’s house in Connecticut along Route 2 or 202 or something like that, chock-a-block with antique stores along the way, so of course we had to stop. We picked up a few great things that day, including an antique clock case we turned into a medicine cabinet, but the standout find was a bargain set of six black Hitchcock chairs.

I’ve always had a weakness for Hitchcock chairs, which are so quintessentially American, but also one of the very first mass-produced pieces of furniture ever made in this country. Originally produced during the second quarter of the 19th century by Lambert Hitchcock, a Connecticut cabinetmaker, they are easily identifiable by their black or dark paint, simple Sheraton shape, gold stencilled details and rush or caned seat. It’s estimated that by the late 1820s, Hitchcock’s company was selling over 15,000 chairs per year. After closing in 1852, the company remained out of business for almost a century only to have a resurgence in the second half of the 20th century when the factory was reopened on the ongoing waves of Colonial Revival popularity. I’d date my chairs as vintage – perhaps 1960s or 70s – as the truly antique examples I’ve come across don’t seem like they could hold up to everyday wear and tear.

Once we had the chairs, we needed a table. I knew I wanted something that didn’t match. This doesn’t sound exciting or particularly revolutionary now, but at the time, people were still buying ‘suites’ of furniture, whether matching couches and love seats or entire bedroom and dining ‘sets’. The table had to be practical as my sweet husband was not going to stand for constant coaster/place mat/tablecloth use. The coloring of the rush seats looked great with light woods as did the dark contrasting paint. But the apartment was open like a loft and fairly dressy, so finding the right thing became a bit of a challenge as the obvious choice – a rustic farm table – didn’t seem right.

Does anyone else remember the days when the western edge of Bleecker Street was still full of antique stores, before the Marc Jacobsvication of it? There was one great mixed shop called Clary & Co (I think they may be still around on 1st dibs) that I checked in at all the time. Once day I was lucky enough to find this – a finely detailed Danish Victorian scrubbed pine table. I still have the Polaroid (!) they took for me to take home to think about it. If I recall correctly, we tied it to the roof of my parents borrowed station wagon to get it home the ten blocks or so.

We were so excited by the combination but the ultimate vindication came not much later from none other than Thomas O’Brien of Aero Studios when his country house was profiled in the February 1994 House Beautiful. He had Hitchcock chairs (his high school graduation present!) pulled up to a similar pine table. He was even using an antique Empire dresser as a sideboard – as we were and are – my own first ever real antique furniture purchase. He had a glass hurricane lantern hanging above the table, just like we did – although I have to point out that his was nowhere near as beautiful as ours (a Dixie Highway find).

Over the years I started collecting every Hitchcock chair photo I came across. Earlier shots tend to have that more cluttered country feel, but all have a common denominator in that the tables and chairs mix materials successfully, from grey painted wood…

…to white…

…to more pine…

…to speckled paint treatment in a formal dining room…

…to cheery cottage sun porch…

…to cosy dining corner.

For all their country coziness, Hitchcock chairs have a very spare silhouette – and much like paper cut silhouettes which are hugely trendy again now – that old-fashioned black profile can really feel modern. So along the way, as tastes changed, designers began to pull on the simple streamlined form of the chairs and highlight that. One of the first to do so was Victoria Hagan, here with a set that have a Washington Vase back shape…

…and again here with a combo of cane and rush seated versions. Both are all about the dark/light contrast and the sculptural shape of the furniture.

Picking up and running with that same idea is architect Gil Schafer, first at his Hudson Valley home Middlefield…

…and later the exact same table and chairs moved to his apartment in New York City. Again note the combination of dark chair and rustic light table.

Schafer uses Hitchcock chairs again in his other residential projects.

A master of that simplified American vernacular, Schafer has an amazing book
The Great American House: Tradition for the Way We Live Now that should not be missed!

Another master at highlighting sculptural antique forms through light and dark is Darryl Carter, using Hitchcock chairs and a bench in this recent room from the June 2012 Elle Decor.

As a testament to their surprising flexibility, they mix with this very modern white table as well.

So this is where I stand. After long daily use, the chairs are dying. The rush seats are breaking and the art of re-rushing does not seem to exist in Japan. The wood frames are getting shaky too. I have been playing musical chairs with the wonkiest ones. And perhaps, just a little bit, I am visually ready for something new and fresh. Now don’t get ahead of yourself, I’m not talking radically new – I don’t think that is where I am heading, but maybe something new antique.

I can’t remember exactly when or where I got the idea of changing the Hitchcock chairs for Thonet style bentwood chairs, another 19th century iconic choice that has such a stylistic yet functional presence. My instincts are that the idea starts with Tom Scheerer‘s influence. His spectacular interiors are littered with different versions of classic Thonet, but he particularly likes to use No. 4, the Cafe Daum chair.

He mixes them with very modern tables extremely well.

The irony of changing to bentwood chairs is that from a historical furniture manufacturing point of view, Hitchcock chairs and Thonet bentwood chairs were almost contemporaries. Michael Thonet set himself up as a cabinetmaker in 1819 and began to experiment with bending wood, ultimately patenting a steam technique around 1840, allowing his chairs to be mass produced. Both styles of chairs represent a huge departure from the past – economically, socially and stylistically – in that they created affordable, well made, functional pieces that appealed to the new popular taste.

It wasn’t hard to come up with inspiration examples like this similar table to mine mixed with black bentwood in the Scott Weston designed kitchen of Kirstie Clements.

I’ve found numerous examples of black or dark bentwood chairs looking great with casual light wood tables. These aren’t a Thonet style, but I can’t resist including them, because the whole kitchen is so fab.

Here’s another view – I do love this kitchen.

Here a vintage marble-topped wood table and black bentwood chairs anchor a modern space…

…as they do in this older version of Muriel Brandolini‘s kitchen.

And I don’t want to rule out the idea of color as they look wonderful painted. Perhaps a Prussian Blue?

The Conran Shop sells a version of Chair No. 14…

…while Crate & Barrel sells their own version of No. 18.

A great company called Bauhaus 2 Your House sells almost every version of bentwood chair available today and they are all fully licensed.

The problem is that I need the choices to be readily available in Japan. I’ve been keeping my eyes open for modern examples or vintage ones. Geographica along the antiques hub on Meguro-dori has these dark wooden No. 14 chairs available for sale.

One of the advantages of bentwood chairs is that they are open to the mismatched look – you can charmingly mix a variety of the styles.

So another option might be the shrine sales. There is a dealer at the Oedo Market at the International Forum that always has a selection. And I’m seriously loving the idea of a deep Prussian blue which would allow me to unite a disparate set…

Goodbye Mr. O’Brien? Hello Mr. Scheerer? What do you think?

Feb 21, 2013 By tokyojinja in Furniture, Interior Design 14 Comments Tags: bentwood, Darryl Carter, dining room, Hitchcock chairs, Thomas O'Brien, Thonet, Tom Scheerer, Victoria Hagan

Feeling Fresh…Indigo Textiles and Tenugui

Lately I seem to be passing up amazing indigo textiles at markets all over town, like this antique katazome futon cover, with scrolling floral and arabesque design.

This giant furoshiki (wrapping cloth) with sashiko stitched corners was purchased by someone else, perhaps at my urging. Am I turning into my grandmother if I am talking to strangers and pushing them to buy things?

And it is fairly rare to see such a fantastic boro futon cover. This one was so artistically patched that I went back and looked at it numerous times before leaving Kawagoe. I am sure purists would decry that tiny bit of red, but I think it is the perfect touch.

My reasoning for not purchasing, besides the usual “I can’t have everything,” is that I am not sure what to do with them. Not usually my problem…

But lately, I have been seeing indigo textiles in design projects everywhere and I have been craving some of that organic deep blue as it has such a cooling effect in warm weather. Many of the textiles in these projects are not Japanese but are instead Indonesian batik or even French Provencal fabrics, but they all have the same visual effect. In the best spaces, textiles from all over the world have been blended together!

I spied what looks to be a Japanese textile thrown over the sofa on the cover of the newest House Beautiful.

April’s Elle Decor featured the Brazilian beach house of designer Sig Bergamin, always a master of the global textile mix. The most unusual fabric placement? The indigo piece on the wall, serving as a backdrop/frame to the painting!

One guest room has beautiful batiks as extra coverlets at the foot of the beds.

Another is such a riot of color, country and pattern all piled on an amazing antique Chinese bed. Click the photo to enlarge and you will see textiles from almost every continent!

Stylist Peter Frank’s house was featured last fall, but I had to include his living room. That perfect blue patchwork pillow, made from antique Japanese textiles, the blue grasscloth on the walls and the amazing 18th century Korean screen, all on a woven paper tatami mat rug from Merida, exude an elegant cool. His entire Hudson Valley house is well worth looking at here.

Interested in cooling down and adding a bit of indigo to your life? I have been cruising the internet for throw pillows and found these made from vintage kimono at Jayson Home & Garden. That might be a good DIY!

Want a bigger swath of blue? Madeline Weinrib, famous for her ikat pillows and Moroccan motif flatweave rugs, also does a denim patchwork line, combining the look of patched Japanese textiles and vintage dhurries.

While we are mentioning Ms. Weinrib, here are a few photos of her New York apartment, resplendent with her textiles and also a great collection of Japanese inban (transfer printed porcelain) and other porcelain.

For those of us in Japan, it is easy to add a bit of indigo to our lives, and what better way to do it than by helping those up north in Tohoku? Amy Katoh’s Azabu Juban shop Blue & White is selling special “Genki Japan” tenugui. The checkerboard motif (remember it here?) is interspersed with encouraging kanji phrases, such as “Let’s Join Hands” and “The Power of Everyone.” All profits from sales will be donated to relief agencies. I think everyone needs one!

And speaking of tenugui, I promised to devote some time to them in my last post, but my dear friend and quilting master Julie Fukuda has beaten me to it and written a great piece on her blog My Quilt Diary. Take a look! Julie often pieces tenugui to create the backs of her quilts and while it may look random, there is always a masterful artistic hand at work. Julie, don’t be angry with me, but sometimes I love the tenugui backs as much as the amazing quilt fronts!

Which brings me to one last indigo image from recent press – this bedroom in Maine by Tom Scheerer. The quilt on the bed must be American, but it is reminiscent of a patched Japanese textile or even Julie’s tenugui quilt back.

Stay cool wherever you are! And stop in to Blue & White for your “Genki Japan” tenugui!

Image credits: 1-3 & 14. me, 4. House Beautiful June 2011, photo credit: Francesco Lagnese, 5-7. Elle Decor April 2011, photo credit: Simon Upton, 8. House Beautiful October 2010, photo credit: William Abranowicz, 9. Jayson Home & Garden, 10. Madeline Weinrib Atelier, 11-13. Elle Decor December 2008, photo credit: Simon Upton, 15. Julie Fukuda at My Quilt Diary, 16. House Beautiful April 2011, photo credit: Francesco Lagnese.

Jun 3, 2011 By tokyojinja in Interior Design, Shrine Sales and Flea Markets, Textiles 8 Comments Tags: indigo, Madeline Weinrib, Peter Frank, quilting, shrine sale, Sig Bergamin, tenugui, textiles, Tom Scheerer

Japanese-Inspired Fabric Follow-Up…Katsugi, Kiku, Kasumi, Kaba Kaba, Katana and More

In response to my post in April about R.P. Miller’s new textile line, a reader from Vienna, Austria wrote, “Love this post – and it just so happens that I am looking for Japanese-inspired upholstery fabric – I found a delightful Schumacher fabric called “Katsugi” that I really enjoy because of its rich colors and organic, imperfect design. Can you recommend any other lines?” So I thought I’d do a quick although not necessarily comprehensive round-up of some of the fabrics I think she might like.

For everyone else, I’ll start with the popular Schumacher linen and cotton blend Katsugi that she mentions, which comes in five colorways.

Don’t be deceived by these swatches. The surprise about Katsugi, and often many other fabrics viewed only in photos, is the scale. If you are imagining the circular patterns are about the size of an apple or the pomegranate they resemble, then you are incorrect. They are actually unexpectedly large. Designer Tom Scheerer has used this fabric to great effect in numerous projects.

Designer Suzanne Tucker makes a similar, although smaller in scale pattern called Kiku, which means chrysanthemum in Japanese. According to her website, the pattern is reinterpreted from a 19th century Japanese futon cover, with stylized chrysanthemum and lotus roundels and interlocking arabesques on a heavy linen ground.

By the way, there are 11 meters of it available in the sapphire blue on eBay right now for a fantastic price.

I don’t believe Martyn Lawrence-Bullard’s Kaba Kaba is based on Japanese textiles, but it looks like an elongated version of shippo tsunagi, also known as linked circles or seven treasures pattern. It also looks as if it was made with a traditional paste resist dye technique, even though it is not.

Compare it to this 19th century shibori (tie-dyed) yukata (cotton kimono).

For a sense of scale, you can see it on the pillow here, with two other great fabrics from his line.

As many of you know, I am a total Bennison junkie and have been using their floral linens in my beach house. While those patterns are their most famous, they also make a number of fabrics based on the karakusa (arabesque vine) pattern. Their “Kasumi” comes small, medium and large in numerous colorways. Unfortunately, none of the photos show the difference in scale, but it is dramatic, with the smallest size being a very fine subtle pattern and the extra-large size making a bold graphic statement.

The easiest way to show karakusa patterns is on Japanese porcelain, but it can be found in almost all the decorative arts.

For a quick and easy dose of karakusa-style fabric, one of my favorite home bedding brands, Pine Cone Hill, has a full line of products in their “Scramble” pattern, from duvets to dust ruffles to table napkins, all in a wide variety of colors.

Annie Selke has also issued Scramble as a fabric by the yard available at Calico Corners in five colorways. Here she has used it to upholster chairs in a Cape Cod dining room.

Lisa Fine’s Maharab, shown here in the indigo colorway, and on some cushions that actually look like old-fashioned Japanese futon, is not actually Japanese inspired.

But while the individual motifs are Indian inspired, the overall pattern reminds me of a typical style of Japanese fabric in which multiple stencils are used to make an overlapping collage like pattern. This fabric is a close-up from a mid-19th century futon cover, made with a rice paste resist method.

Asa no ha, or hemp pattern, is one of the most classic Japanese patterns there is. Ironically, for all that it is so ancient, it looks so modern. Here is it on an early 20th century yukata.

For a truly mod version of asa no ha, look no further that Kelly Wearstler’s fabric line for Groundworks in the Katana pattern, which takes the motif and stretches it to great dynamic effect.

Like some of the other fabrics in the post, the scale is surprisingly large.

Vanderhurd makes an amazing hand-embroidered linen in a hemp pattern called “Grande Etoile,” which comes in numerous colors, not all of which are pictured here, as well as a smaller version called “Petite Etoile.”

RP Miller’s new hemp pattern fabric has the unusual name of “1509 EB.” I imagine there must be a story behind that somewhere…

Thanks to the lovely Ariel at Hollywood at Home, I have gotten my hands on some samples from that new line, including a few I did not mention in the last post, such as the large chrysanthemum pattern Mrs. Burnside, the small star pattern Tanabata Night Sky and the delicate and leafy Weymouth place shown here in wheat ind indigo.

The wheat colors were a great surprise, very subtle and satisfying for those who like to work with neutrals.

Chiyo’s Pond, the pattern that looks like flowing water and petals reminds me of typical Okinawan bingata stenciled fabrics.

But my favorite is still the very unusual woodblock print inspired Le Witt Loom. In the wheat colorway if has a faux bois effect while in the indigo and white it is crisp and clean. I can’t think of anything else like it on the market.

For more photos and information on that pattern and the rest of RP Miller’s new line, see my previous post R. P. Miller…New Japanese Inspired Fabrics From Rodman Primack Debut at Hollywood at Home.

All of the photos of antique Japanese textiles came from what looks to be a fantatsic website called narablog, which features wonderful antique textiles, mainly Japanese, many for sale. I really recommend you take a look! Another fabulous resource for antique Japanese textiles is Sri Threads.

Photo credits for the three Tom Scheerer photos are: 1. Simon Upton, 2. William Waldron, 3. Eric Bowman. Annie Selke dining room from House Beautiful February 2009, photo credit: John Kernick. Kelly Wearstler image via decorpad.

May 15, 2011 By tokyojinja in Interior Design, Textiles 8 Comments Tags: Bennison, Japanese design, Kelly Wearstler, Lisa Fine, Martyn Lawrence-Bullard, Rodman Primack, RP Miller, Suzanne Tucker, textiles, Tom Scheerer

Reimagining the Interiors of 33 Surf Avenue

Throughout the time I have been away from Japan, I have been thinking a lot about my friends in Ocean Grove whose house burned on the same day as the earthquake hit here. In a town famous for the most ornate Victorians, with gull-wing roofs or turrets, their house, built in 1923, is a simple four-square Victorian with an arts and crafts style front porch, a pair of bay windows and a dormered attic floor. Like its owners, it is a warm and unpretentious house, always filled to the brim with guests, whether sitting on the porch or cramming around the dining room table. My friends have jumped quickly into the rebuilding process, starting to meet with architects, and I am sure they are not planning to build some kind of fancy faux Victorian, but instead an improved version of what they already had. As they start to plan the exterior, I thought it would be fun to help them along in envisioning what the inside might look like. To do so, I am going to be leaning on certain designers heavily, such as Tom Scheerer and Markham Roberts, whose wonderful relaxed beach and vacation houses fit the bill.

The colors of the interiors before revolved around a palette of blue, white and naturals like tan and brown – the colors of the beach, clouds and sky. I can’t see changing that as it fit the house and locale perfectly. Starting at the arrival point, I am hoping for a similar front porch, with a beadboard ceiling and comfy chairs for happy hour, just as was there before.

One “flaw” of the previous house was the lack of an entryway as the front door opened directly into the living room. Perhaps the new design might make room for one, with space to hang hats and drop beach bags.

The living room had whitewashed paneled walls and I could see using beadboard or horizontal shipboard in rooms throughout the house. Most of the photos following have some, whether on the walls or ceiling. I also love the idea of some grasscloth to add texture. The original living room had a simple painted brick fireplace, a feature I would love to see kept. My friends also like having carpet in the living room, not as usual in a beach house, but actually practical and easy to keep clean. A patterned one like this one would hide dirt and stains.

Sisal or seagrass would be a reasonable alternative to carpeting too.

Add comfortable upholstered furniture in straight forward shapes and simple bamboo blinds and plain or checked curtains at the windows.

A games table might be a nice feature to sneak in – great for extra diners too! And it is so easy to pick up inexpensive Victorian furniture with great lines along the Jersey shore.

The original dining room was my favorite room in the house with built-in china cabinets with glass doors, the backs of which were painted blue to highlight the contents. Simple Windsor style chairs circled an oval table. This dining room with its Victorian chairs, white cabinet and painted table is quite similar.

Another view of the same dining room shows a simple Aesthetic Movement settee upholstered in a modern fabric.

Bentwood chairs could be another charming choice and a formica table is always practical, inexpensive and can be custom sized to fit any space. But the key to this Tom Scheerer room is the scenic wallpaper, made from blowing up vintage images.

He does it again here, with a Nantucket feel and simple Windsor style chairs. My friends have a great Ocean Grove vintage postcard collection – I’d love to make a wallpaper out of one of the cards and use it in the dining room like Tom Scheerer does.

Kitchens are the budget busters of these kinds of projects. I am thinking straightforward white cabinets as it is easy to change the look down the road and a compact cooking area because we all do so much barbecuing.

I love the idea of color on the floor – here the wood is painted blue.

Perhaps the most practical solution in terms of care and cost would be a blue linoleum, much like the one used here. Black and white linoleum squares would be another classic choice.

I’m not sure there would be room for an eat-in table in the kitchen, but a built-in booth like this one…

…or this one, could be great.

One great feature of the old house was a small sun porch off the back. I’d love to see them keep a small space like this. With so many guests, more bedrooms and more small spaces to get away to are always at a premium.

Bathrooms are super easy! Go with all white fittings and fixtures as they are clean, easy to care for, and always look fresh. Either beadboard with a bit of a country feel…

…or more 1920s. I am sure we could find some old photos like these at Shore Antique Center!

Perk up simple white hexagon tiles and a pedestal sink with broad painted stripes. Easy and inexpensive!

The master bedroom should be relaxed and comfortable, a haven of peace to escape from busy days and the demands of many guests. Beautiful fabrics on an upholstered bed set the mood here…

…and here…

…and here.

Vintage iron beds are also easy to find and have the right period feel. They are great for kids rooms as they are sturdy and easy to make. Love the little painted table here…

…and the painted chair here.

Attic bedrooms tucked under the eaves don’t even need much furniture, just a comfortable bed, some nice linens and a bit of color.

I’ll be curious to see if my vision in any way matches theirs…

Image credits: 1. via K. Woodruff, 2. design by Myra Hoefer in House Beautiful January 2009, 3, 5, 10, 11, 15 and 17. design by Tom Scheerer in House Beautiful August 2008 and April 2011, 4,8,9,16,21 and 23. design by Markham Roberts in House Beautiful August 2006 and October 2008, 6. design by Ashley Whittaker in House Beautiful February 2008, 7. design by Marshall Watson in House Beautiful September 2008, 12. designer unknown in Cottage Homes, 13, 18, 25 and 26. design by Gil Schafer in House Beautiful August 2007, 14 and 19. design by Alex Bates in Country Living June 2010, 20 and 27. design by Leslie Klotz in House Beautiful July 2008, 22. design by Tom Stringer in House Beautiful February 2008, 24. credit unknown.

Apr 4, 2011 By tokyojinja in Interior Design, Kitchens, Renovation and Decoration Report 11 Comments Tags: Alex Bates, Ashlet Whittaker, beach house, Gil Schafer, Markham Roberts, Marshall Watson, Myra Hoefer, Ocean Grove, Tom Scheerer, Tom Stringer

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